Victor

Sally Victor (1905-1977). A particularly innovative American milliner, she made hats shaped like Chinese lanterns, accordions, and even inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, after studying painting in Paris, she began her career very young at Macys department stores. After marrying Sergiu Victor in 1927, the managing director of Serge, a manufacturer of hats, she became the company’s first fashion designer. But the real turning point came in 1934 when she founded her own company. She was the one who launched the little sailor hat in the 1930s, contributing to the creation of a women’s style that was both saucy and easy-going. Her creations met with the favor of Mamie Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Elizabeth II, and Judy Garland. She retired in 1968 at just the right time, that is, when American fashion was beginning to tend toward casual wear, making hats an increasingly marginal accessory.